Here is the soundest of advice from Hunter Gatherer 21C’s Nicholas Bate:

Only listen to vinyl when working; a break and a walk will be naturally necessary every twenty minutes or so.

This could be the nudge I need to set up my turntable again.

Currently, I have a playlist on Sonos of mostly guitar instrumentals curated from my music collection. It runs for nearly a full day and ensures (after a couple of opening tracks with vocals) that I’m not writing with other people’s words in my head.

It’s not vinyl, but it includes some sublime tracks. Here’s a taster:

Opening vocal tracks:

Loser, The Grateful Dead (“I’ve got no fear of losing this time.”)

Hair of the Dog, Nazareth (“Now you’re messing with a son of a bitch.”)

Hello Hooray, Alice Cooper (“God, I feel so strong.”)

Thereafter, a mix of the sweetest guitar music:

Blue Valley, Thomas Blug

And The Address, Deep Purple

High Nights, Sutherland Brothers & Quiver (an instrumental from Quiver’s Time Renwick, later of Al Stewart and Pink Floyd’s touring band amongst many others)

Cloudy Day, JJ Cale

Weiss Heim, Rainbow

Cause We’ve Ended as Lovers, Jeff Beck

Samba Pa Ti, Santana

Journey of the Sorcerer, Eagles

Little Wing, Stevie Ray Vaughan

Another Place, Jeff Beck

Scandinavia, Van Morrison

Angel (Footsteps), Jeff Beck

Where Were You, Jeff Beck.

And, much, much more. Just so much great music!

Photo by Adrian Korte on Unsplash